The interpretation of daydreams, I

There is a notable lack of interest in the daydream, whether in clinical work, in the literature, or in psychoanalytic teaching, compared with the attention received by nocturnal dreams, fantasy activity, and other psychoanalytic material. This neglect of daydreams may be related to the apparent infrequency with which patients report them in analytic treatment. Possible explanations for the unavailability of daydreams as analytic material are examined. The paper offers detailed clinical material that will provide some of the necessary analytic data with which to begin an exploration of the nature of daydreams and their role in the analytic process.